Flour sifter



B. G. HALL FLOUR SIFTER Dec. 8, 1936.

Filed Feb, l, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet l Fiqh-4.

F11 gri B. G. HALL FLOUR SIFTER Dec. 8, 1936.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. l, 1933 Inventor:

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B. G. HALL FLOUR S IFTER Dec. 8, 1936.

Filed Feb. l, 1933 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Dec. '8, 1936 UNHTED STATES toilets entrar cerise 5 Claims.

A flour sifter of the type heretofore known consists of an open ended casing for receiving flour, a plurality of sieves disposed in spaced apart, superposed relation in said casing, a plurality of agitators, including an agitator for each sieve, and means for simultaneously operating all of said agitators to` cause the ilour to successively pass by gravity through the several sieves, to thus be sifted a plurality of times, the number ci" times the our is sifted depending, naturally, upon the number of sieves employed. Thesieves, agitators, and means for operating the agitators of said mentioned our sifter now of commerce, however. are all permanently associated with the casing of said sifter, making it practically impossible to clean the our sifter. And furthermore, flour siiters of the general character as set forth have been, prior to my invention, of expensive and cumbersome construction.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved flour sifterv which will consist of an open ended flour receiving casing, a plurality of sieves disposed in spaced apart, superposed relation in said casing, a plurality of agitators, at least one for each sieve, and means for simultaneously causing relative movement between each sieve and its corresponding agitator, whereby to successively pass the flour by gravity through the several Sieves, and thus sift said our a plurality of times, and wherein all of said sieves and all of said agitators, and preferably said means, will be detachably associated with said casing, to be readily and easily remo-vable therefrom and replaceable in operative relation therein.

A further object is to provide a flour sifter of the character as stated, wherein the removable sieves and agitators employed will be associated with the casing of the flour sifter and with each other in novel and improved manner.

A further object is to provide in the flour sitter, an agitator unit of novel and improved construction, and which will include agitators, one for each sieve, co-operating with the sieves in novel and improved manner to accomplish the flour sifting operation.

A further object is to provide a flour sifter including an open ended flour receiving casing, at least one sifting screen in said casing and removable from an end thereof, at least one agitato-r removably insertable through the wall of said casing, and means for accomplishing relative movement of an agitator and a corresponding sifting screen in such manner that flour will be sifted through said screen.

A further object is to provide a our sifter including an open ended flour receiving casing, superposed sifting screens in said casing and removable from an end thereof, means spacing said sifting screens apart, agitators insertable through the wall of said casing, a device without the casing for operating said agitators, and an arrangement of means so mounting the agitators upon the casing and relatively to the sifting screens that each agitator will Wipe with pressure against its corresponding screen during the nour sifting operation.

A further object is to provide a flour sifter of the character as stated, wherein each oi the necessary parts of the siiter will be oi" simple and inexpensive construction, capable of being assembled together by expenditure of a minimum effort.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged central vertical section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of one of the agita-tors.

Fig. 4 is a side View showing three of the agitators assembled into an agitating unit.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of another form of agitator.

Fig. 6 is a transverse or horizontal sectional View taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 'l is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line l--l of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional View taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 9 is a side view o the casing member with the agitating unit removed, showing the apertures in the casing member for receiving the agitators.

Fig. 10 is an isometric view of one of the elements of the agitating unit of Fig. 4.

Fig. l1 is a fragmentary side View partly in section showing a modified form of mounting for the agitating unit.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary sectional view showing an agitating unit including agitators as in Fig. 5, and a further modied form of mounting for said agitating unit.

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary sectional view of a ilour sifter including a single sieve, and an agitating unit having a single agitator.

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary vertical section showing a modied manner of mounting the sieves and agitators of a iiour sift-er made according to the invention.

Fig. 15 is a reduced sectional view on the line I5-I5 of Fig. 14.

Fig. 16 is a detail sectional view on the irregular line IIS- I6 of Fig. 15.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 of the drawings, Ill denotes the casing of the flour sitter, which casing is of any suitable capacity and is open at its top and botto-m. Conveniently, the top and bottom of the casing are rolled outwardly, as indicated at ii and l2, respectively. Numeral I3 designates the usual handle for the our sitter, rigidly attached to the casing I5.

The casing I0 removably carries a plurality of spaced apart screens or sieves, there being three screens or sieves as disclosed, represented I4, I5, and I6. The lower sieve I4 is conveniently supported in the lower portion or" the casing. As shown, Said lower portion of the casing is shaped to provide an inwardly extending annular bead Il against which the sieve I4 rests, although said sieve could be supported in any other convenient manner, as for example, to be removable from the bottom of the casing.

The sieves I4, I5, and Ill may be of duplicate construction each consisting or a circular screen I8 of relatively ine mesh carried by an annular member I9 of any suitable material, such as metal or ber. Said sieves i4, I5, and iti are desirably of diameter to snugly t the casing i3, but to be freely slidable along said casing.

The sieves M, I5, and it are spaced apart by suitable spacing members 2d and 2l, which also snugly t the casing i3 to be slidable therealong. That is, a lower spacing member 2S has its lower edge resting upon the sieve Ill, the sieve I5 rests upon the upper edge of said lower spacing member, an upper spacing member il has its lower edge resting upon the sieve I5, and the sieve I3 rests upon the upper edge of said upper spacing member.

The spacing members 2G and 2l may be duplicates. As shown, each consists oi an open ended band of metal extending about the greater portion of the circumference of the casing i9, the ends 22 of said band of metal terminating in spaced relation to each other, as shown more clearly in Figs. 2 and 7, for a purpose to be explained. Each spacing member 2G and 2| preferably has a slight tendency to spread, so that when they are inserted in the casing lll they will naturally cling to the wall of said casing, as will be understood.

It will be apparent that the sieves I I5, and I6, and the spacing members 2S and 2l, can be quickly and easily inserted into or removed from the casing I0, and that when said mentioned elements are inserted in said casing, they are stably associated with the casing and are not liable to become displaced from their intended positions therein or dislodged therefrom. While a specific type of spacing member for the sieves has been illustrated and described, it will be obvious that same other type of spacing means (not shown) could be substituted. It should be remarked, however, that any means employed to space the sieves apart would desirably but not necessarily be removable from the casing I3.

Also, while I have illustrated and described three sieves I4, I5, and I6 removably mounted in the casing I0, attention is called to the fact that a greater or less number of sieves can be utilized. In any event, for each sieve employed, there is at least one corresponding agitator, said agitators being adapted to the purpose of wiping over said sieves.

The flour sifter includes what I prefer to call an agitating unit, denoted generally at 23. As disclosed more clearly in Figs. 2, 4, 6, and '7, said agitating unit includes agitators 24, 25, and 23, of any suitable material, desirably metal, correspending to the sieves Iii, I5, and I6, respectively. In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4 and 6 to 10, the agitators are constructed after the fashion as in Fig. 3, each consisting of a piece of wire bent intermediate its ends, as at 2l, to pro-vide parallel superposed portions 28 of the wir-e, which portions 28 merge into the spread apart extensions 29 at the free end portion of the agitator. The portions 2t are shaped to pro vide a rivet receiving opening 35 adjacent the bend 2l, and a passage 3l adjacent said opening 3), in slightly spaced relation thereto.

The agitating unit 23 additionally includes spacing elements, indicated 32 and 33, and bearing elements, represented 34 and 35. As shown more clearly in Figs. 2 and 4, the bearing element 3ft engages against the lower surface of the agitator 2li and includes an opening 33 at its outer end in alinernent with the adjacent rivet receiving opening 3U, and a bearing aperture 3l at its inner end in alinement with the adjacent passage 3i. The bearing element 35 engages against the upper surface of the agitator 23 and includes an opening i3 at its outer end in alinement with the adjacent rivet receiving opening 33 and a bearing aperture 39 at its inner end in alinement with the adjacent passage BI. The spacing element 32 is disposed between the agitators 2d and 25, and includes a longitudinal slot lil in alinement with the openings 3@ in said agitators 24 and 25, respectively. rlhe spacing element 33 is disposed between the agitators 25 and 26, and includes a longitudinal slot 4I in alinement with the openings 33 in said agitators 25 and 2E, respectively. A headed rivet 42 extending through all of the openings 30, 3G, and 38, and through the longitudinal slots 4B and 4I securely clamps the agitators 24, 25, and 28 in spaced, parallel relation, the agitator 2Q being clamped between the head 4t* of the rivet and the adjacent end of the spacing element 32, the agitator 25 being clamped between the spacing elements 32 and 33, and the agitator 25 being clamped between the opposite head 44 of the rivet and the adjacent end of the spacing element 33.

When the agitators 24, 25, and 2S are clamped to each other in the manner as set forth, said agitators all lie in a single plane passing longitudinally through the rivet 42, so that all of the passages 3l and the bearing apertures 32 and 39 aline. The spacing elements 32 and 33 may be duplicates, and each is of length to space the agitators 24, 25, and 26 apart at distance equal to the distance between the sieves I4 and i5, and

i5 and I6, respectively.

The casing ID includes spaced apart, elongated horizontally disposed slots 45, 48 and 4'! arranged in vertical alinement and adapted to removably receive the agitators 24, 25, and 26, respectively. Said slots 45, 46, and 4T are at distance apart equal to the distance between adjacent sieves and adjacent agitators, the slot 45 being disposed just above the sieve I4, the slot 46 being disposed an equal distance above the sieve I5, and the slot 13T being disposed the same distance above the sieve I6. Desirably, each elongated slot 45, 46

.116, and 4l, respectively, to the positions as shown in Figs. 2, 6, and '7, and means is provided for operatively mounting the agitating unit upon the casing in such manner that said agitating unit can be manipulate-d to cause each agitator to wipe, desirably with pressure, over its corresponding sieve. It will be evident that the agitators wipe over the upper surfaces of the screens i8 of the sieves.

The means for mounting theagitating unit is best shown in Figs. 2, 6, '71, `and 8. As there shown, numeral 48 indicates a lower horizontal bearing-supporting-member extending diametrically across the casing lil and arranged in apertures i9 in said casing situated below the bead ll. Said member 48 provides a stationary vertical bearing 5l) situated at a side of the casing it in the vertical plane of the elongated slots 45, t6, and 4l, just below said slot d6. Numeral 5l denotes an upper horizontal bearing-supporting-member extending diametrically across the casing lll and removably mounted in apertures 52 in said casing situated above the upper sieve I6. Said member 5l provides a stationary vertical bearing 53 situated at the same side of the casing as is the bearing Eil, and also in the vertical plane of the elongated slots dil, 46, and ,41, just above said slot ll'l. See Fig. l. in connection with Figs. 2 and 9.

The stationary vertical bearing 53 is arranged at slightly closer distance to the adjacent wall of the casing lil than is the stationary vertical bearing ll. See Fig. 2.

When the agitators are inserted through the elongated slots 45, t6, and #il to their proper operating positions in the casing, the passages 3l and the apertures 3'! and 39, which as before stated are in alinement with each other, are approximately in alinement with the stationary vertical bearings 53 and 513. With the mentioned parts so positioned, a shaft 54 is inserted first into the vertical bearing 53, then through the bearing aperture 39, then through the passages 3l, then through the bearing aperture 3l, and finally through the vertical bearing 5U. When the shaft 54 is completely inserted, as in Figs. 1 and 2, a head 55 thereon rests upon the upper surface of the vertical bearing 53. It is obvious that insertion of said shaft 5ft in the manner as stated, causes the shaft to be slightly out of parallel with the adjacent wall ci the casing lo,

said shaft slanting downwardly and outwardly from said casing. Thus the shaft 5d evidently exerts an action upon the portion of the agitating unit mounted upon said shaft tending to bend said portion upwardly about the upper walls or edges 56 of the elongated slots 45, Q6 and il? as axes, it being understood that each of said upper walls or edges is in contiguous relation with, or in close proximity to, the upper surface of-a corresponding agitator. The upward action upon the outer portion of the agitating unit, naturally, causes the inner portion of each agitator to be forced downwardly to thus exert pressure against the corresponding sieve. Desirably, the agitators possess suicient flexibility to insure that the major part of each portion of each agitator within the casing resiliently engages its corresponding sieve.

The agitating unit is operated by grasping the handle i3 in one hand, and the spacing elements 32 and 33 in the other, said spacing elements with associated parts evidently supplying the movable handle of the flour sifter actuatable toward and from the xed handle i3 to oscillate the agitators over the sieves. Said agitators engaging said sieves with pressure, the sieves are ef- `fectively vibrated, or flexed upwardly and downwardly, when the -agitators are oscillated, to thus very effectively and efficiently accomplish the flour sifting operation.

It will be evident that agitators made of wire, as in Fig. 3, present rounded surfaces to the sieves adapted to move quite smoothly over said sieves. 1f desired, the superposed portions 28 of the wire in Fig. 3 might be welded or soldered to each other. In such case, bearing elements, such as Sil and 35, can be dispensed with. `Or the bearing element could be welded or soldered to said superposed portions of the wire comprising an agitator.

t has been stated hereinbefore that the ends 22 of the spacing members 2%] and 2l are spaced apart. This is for the obvious purpose of allowing passage for the agitators 2d, 25, and 26.

Also, it has been mentioned above that the sieves tl, l5, and i6, the spacing members 2li and 2l, and the bearing support 5l are all easily and quickly removable from the casing i6. It will be -apparent that the agitating unit 23 is removable frorn said casing by ready withdrawal of the shaft 5ft. It should be added, however, that the tension exerted by said shaft 5t and the agitators against each other places the shaft itself under a tension insuring that it cannot become accidentally removed from its bearings, even though the flour sifter is turned upside down. Evidently, the action or tension exerted from the shaft 5d is in direction tending to push the lower end portion of said shaft inwardly of the casing, thus keeping the lower bearing support with Vertical bearing in position, necessitating the employment of no special fastening means for said bearing support.

It might also be added that the agitating unit 23 as illustrated and described has no top and bottom sides. That is, said agitating unit can be operatively inserted into the perforations of the casing either side up.

From the illustration and disclosure as rnade, it will be seen that when the flour sifter is to be cleaned, the pin 5d is withdrawn, and the agitating unit is freely removed from the casing. The bearing support 5l is given a part turn to be freely withdrawable from the casing, and the sieves Ill, I5, and i6 and the spacing members Eil and 2l are pushed out through the top of the flour sifter casing. After the separated parts are cleaned, they can be again assembled in a manner which will be evident from the description made.

In Fig. 11 there is disclosed a flour sitter in all respects like the sifter of Figs. 1 to 4 and 6 to 10, except that the present sifter has a mounting for the agitating unit of modied form. That is, the upper portion of the shaft 5t' is perforated to receive a screw 57 removably entering the casing l. Obviously, the shaft 5t cannot be removed from its bearings until the screw 5l is withdrawn. The shaft 5t is mounted in the saine relation to the casing as is the shaft 5d. Evidently, the screw mounting in Fig. 11 displaces the upper bearing bracket El with vertical bearing 53 in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 12 there is disclosed a iiour sifter otherwise like the sifter of Figs. 1 to 4 and 6 to 10,*but

having an agitating unit including agitators as in Fig. 5, and a further modified form of mounting for said agitating unit. The agitator of Fig. 5 consists of a flat piece of metal 28 having extensions 29', rivet opening 36', and bearing aperture 31', all more or less like the generally corresponding parts of Fig. 3, and for a similar purpose. It will be noted that the agitating unit of Fig. 12 omits bearing elements, such as 34 and 35, the agitators themselves each including a bearing aperture 31', accomplishing the same purposes as the bearing apertures 3l and 39 in Figs. l to 4 and 6 to 10. The spacing elements 32 and 33', and the rivet 42 with heads 43 and 44 .function in about the manner as in Fig. 2, except that the heads of the rivet engage directly against the upper and lower agitators instead of against bearing elements. The agitators of Fig. 12 are inserted in the casing in the manner as already described. The mounting for the agitating unit of Fig. 12 omits the elements 48, 49, 5l, 52 of Fig. 2, and instead includes a lower bracket 58 and an upper bracket 59, each of L shape and having openings into which the shaft 54 is removably insertable until its head 55 engages said bracket 59. The shaft 54 has the same relation in the assembled structure as does the shaft 54. The brackets 58 and 59 are suitably secured to the casing I as by screws, Welding, or soldering.

In Fig. 13 there is disclosed a flour sifter made according to the invention including a single sieve and an agitating unit having a single agitator. The sieve, represented 14a, may be like the sieve I4, but is as shown removable from the bottom of the casing, being held in said casing by the releasable retaining ring l 1a. The agitating unit consists of an agitator 28a, like the agitator 23 in Fig. 5, a single bearing element 35a above and spaced from said agitator, spacing elements 32a, 33a, and a rivet 42a with heads 43a and 44a. The bearing element 35a has an outer rivet receiving opening 38a` and an inner bearing aperture 39a. The agitator 28a has an outer rivet receiving opening 36a and an inner bearing aperture 31a. The openings 38a and 36a and the apertures 39a and 31a, respectively, are in alinement. The apertures 38a and 36a receive the rivet, which passes through the spacing elements, and the heads of said rivet attach the bearing element 35a. and the agitator 28a. to the spacing elements in the manner as already described, and so that said bearing element and said agitator are in a single plane. The shaft 54a and its mounting brackets 58a and 59a are the same as in Fig. l2. It will be evident that the shaft 54a exerts the same influence upon the agitating unit of Fig. 13 as does the shaft 54 of Fig. 2 exert upon the agitating unit there shown, so that the agitator a will wipe with pressure against and over the sieve |4a when the operating handle, including the spacing elements 32a and 33a, is oscillated in the manner as hereinbefore described. Evidently, an agitating unit having two or more agitators, as in Figs. 2, 4, 11, and 12, can be employed in connection with a flour sifting casing having but a single sieve, as in Fig. 13. In such case, the bottom agitator would preferably wipe` over the sieve, and the upper agitators would simply work or oscillate in the flour to better break it up as will be understood.

In Figs. 14, 15, and 16, the various parts of the flour sifter which are similarly marked are the same as the equivalent parts in Fig. l2, the only differences between these structures being that in the present form of the invention the bead Il supports a spiral spring BU which in turn supports the lower screen I4, said lower screen supporting a spiral spring 6l itself supporting the intermediate screen l5, said intermediate screen supporting a spiral spring 62 itself supporting the screen I6, and the shaft 54 is parallel to the adjacent wall of the casing, but may be slanted relatively to said casing. Obviously, in the form of the invention as in Figs. 14, 15, and 16, the spiral springs 60, 6I, and 62 cause the pressure to be exerted between the agitators and their corresponding screens. Also, the pressure exerted between the screens and agitators removably fastens the shaft 54" in its bearings in the general manner as already described. When the agitators are to be inserted into the casing including the structure as in Figs. 14, 15, and 16, the upper screen is engaged by the hand and depressed to move all of the screens downwardly in an apparent manner. When the screens are so moved downwardly, the agitators are inserted, as before explained. The arrangement of the spiral springs is such that the agitators can clear said springs, as will be most clear from Fig. 16. Upon the agitators being inserted, they evidently hold the screens depressed, and the spiral springs exert yielding pressure to urge said screens against said agitators. Evidently, any other suitable means for pressing the screens against the agitators can be substituted for the spiral springs disclosed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. A our sifter including a our receiving casing, a sifting screen in said casing, an agitator for co-operating with said sifting screen, means for accomplishing relative flour sifting movement between said agitator and said sifting screen, a device outside of said casing and exerting action upon said agitator to cause it to engage said screen with resilient pressure during the ilour sifting operation, and means upon sa'id casing in which said device is removably mounted.

2. A flour sifter including a flour receiving casing, a sifting screen in said casing, an agitator for co-operating with said sifting screen, means for accomplishing relative our sifting movement between said agitator and said sifting screen, a device for detachably associating said agitator with said casing, and means upon the outside of said casing in which said device is removably mounted, said device causing said screen and said agitator to exert pressure against each other, and said pressure reacting upon said device to maintain it in said means against the possibility of accidental displacement.

3. A flour sifter including a our receiving casing, a plurality of spaced apart sifting screens removably associatable with said casing and arranged in superposed relation, an agitating unit having a plurality of agitators for co-operating with said sifting screens, said agitators being removably insertable through the wall of said casing, means for actuating said agitating unit to move said agitators over said screens in flour sifting relation thereto, and means detachably mounting said agitators upon said casing, said last mentioned means causing said agitators to engage said screens under pressure.

4. A flour sifter including a flour receiving casing, a sifting screen in said casing, an agitator for co-operating with said sifting screen, said agitator being removably insertable through a side wall of said casing. means for accomplishing flour sifting movement between said agitator and said sifting screen, a device for detachably wsenibling.

said agitator upon said casing, and means upon said casing removably carrying said device, Said device causing said screen and said agitator to exert pressure against each other, and said pressure reacting upon said device to maintain it in said means.

5. A our sifter including an open ended our receiving casing, a sifting Screen in said casing and removable from an end thereof, an agitator for cooperating with said sifting screen and removable through a side Wall of the casing, means for accomplishing relative flour sifting movement between said agitator and sifting screen, a device for detachably associating said agitator With said casing, and means upon an outer part of said casing in which said device is removably mounted, said device exerting action upon said agitator to cause it to engage said screen With pressure.

BASIL G. HALL. 

